1 year ago
81
Footage emerges of huge blaze in Sevastopol; Ukrainian president says more would have been killed had most of Russia’s missiles not been shot down
Hello and welcome back to our coverage of Russia’s war in Ukraine. This is Adam Fulton with the latest developments to bring you up to speed.
A fuel tank was on fire in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol in what appeared to be a drone strike, the Moscow-installed governor said on Saturday.
Five EU countries have agreed on a deal to allow the transit of Ukrainian food exports, the European Commission has said, after temporary bans were imposed on the foodstuffs amid protests by farmers. The agreement with Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia comes as limits on Ukraine grain’s export channel via the Black Sea necessitate export overland via the country’s neighbours.
A leaked internal review commissioned by Amnesty International is said to have concluded there were significant shortcomings in a controversial report prepared by the rights group that accused Ukraine of illegally endangering citizens by placing armed forces in civilian areas. The report last August prompted widespread anger in Ukraine, leading to an apology from Amnesty and a promise of a review by external experts.
Ukraine’s forces are concluding their preparations for a long-expected spring counteroffensive against invading Russian troops and are ready, broadly speaking, the country’s defence minister has said. Oleksii Reznikov told an online briefing on Friday: “As soon as there is God’s will, the weather and a decision by commanders, we will do it.” He gave no date for the start of the counteroffensive, aimed at repelling Russian forces from the east and south, but said: “Globally speaking, we are to a high percentage ready.”
Continue reading...